Lucy gets more shelter kits for Yolanda survivors

ORMOC CITY, Philippines   â€” Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez was elated that her prayers for additional shelter kits for her constituents in the fourth district of Leyte who were affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda were answered.

She was able to raise 3,000 kits earlier, but more was needed and her dilemma was aggravated by the abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

Last Friday, Gomez and the Oman Charitable Organization (OCO) distributed an additional 2,000 shelter kits in Ormoc and 1,000 in Kananga town. This is on top of another 2,000 kits that were distributed earlier in Palompon and Matag-ob.

Another 1,000 kits each are set to be distributed in the towns of Albuera, Merida and Isabel before the end of this month.

A shelter kit includes 12 GI sheets, nails, hammer and saw, but the OCO decided to add three mattresses, three blankets, three gallons of water, a hygiene kit and three boxes of ready-to-eat food for each kit.

Aside from the kits, the OCO donated modern hospital equipment to the Palompon District Hospital, including a mobile X-ray machine, an ambulance and a 100-KVA generator.

Mohammed Rashid Al-Moqbali, deputy chief of relief of the OCO, said the relief operation was made possible through the help of Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the government of Oman.

Gomez described Oman’s relief operations as an answered prayer.

“The abolition of the PDAF couldn’t have come at a worst time. Whether we like it or not, public servants are judged by what they can give to people and the job of a congresswoman without the PDAF is tantamount to being a magician because you have to produce not knowing where your source is,” she said.

Gomez said she did not know where to get more funds to pay for more shelter kits as she used all the money she had to buy the initial 3,000 kits.

“I was praying for miracle that night and the next day, Jo Magcale called and told me about the Oman Charitable Organization,” Gomez said

Magcale is with the Stone of David, which supplies the Oman government’s disaster response operations for Yolanda survivors.

She saw Gomez on TV appealing for help for her constituents. She thought the lawmaker from Leyte would be a trustworthy partner for the Oman’s relief operations. 

Mayors Ramon Oñate of Palompon and Mike Torrevillas of Matag-ob thanked Gomez and her husband, Richard, for raising funds for the “Rebuild Ormoc and Leyte 4” campaign. Each relief and shelter kit reportedly costs about P 20,000.

Earlier, Gomez managed to convince the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation to come and help the residents of Ormoc.